KUALA LUMPUR: The government's decision to offer the Dermasiswa B40 TVET Scholarships for B40 students to pursue technical and vocational studies could break the poverty cycle.
Parti Bangsa Malaysia secretary-general Nor Hizwan Ahmad said it would also close the economic gap in the country to create a more equitable and competitive society.
Apart from helping the B40 group break the poverty cycle, he said TVET students upon graduation would be able to contribute to the country through their technical and vocational expertise while supplementing the income for their families.
"Technical and vocational training (TVET) today is no longer regarded as an inferior education track. In many developed countries like Japan and Germany, TVET is the preferred option for students.
"In today's rapidly-developing technological landscape, those with TVET backgrounds stand to have the edge," he said in a statement today.
He said technological advancements like IR4.0, artificial intelligence, Big Data and biotechnology were rapidly taking over the world.
"To master these skills, one would need to have a sound technical and vocational grounding," Nor Hizwan said.
He said employment data showed that people who are trained in these areas are highly sought after by employers.
"In this respect, PBM calls on the public to change their mindset about TVET being a second-class educational track, adding PBM also supported the government's decision to observe June 2 as the National TVET Day.